Imagine watching Friends without Joey Tribbiani.
Wouldn’t it be Boring?
That’s what your resume is without a cover letter boring, and “normal”.
But do you know that you can make your resume stand out and get that dream job of yours?
Yes, it is possible, provided that you add a cover letter with your resume.
Don’t know what a cover letter is how to write one?
Don’t worry folks, read this blog to find out the ‘Joey Tribbiani’ of your resume.
What is a cover letter?
In layman’s language, a cover letter is a document that you attach with your resume.
A cover letter provides extra information about yourself, information which you can not encapsulate in a resume.
Why do you need a cover letter?
You must be wondering why there is a need for a cover letter?
A cover letter can make your resume stand out.
Thousands of people apply for one vacancy and only a hand full of them knows what a cover letter is, let alone how to draft one.
Hence, if you can draft a beautiful cover letter you will get an edge.
How is a cover letter different from a resume?
You must be thinking.
How is a cover letter different from my resume?
A resume encapsulates all your work profiles to date. You can spend nights crafting a perfect resume but in the end, that is what everyone is doing, right?
And that’s where a cover letter comes to the rescue.
In a cover letter, you can add additional things that can influence HRs to hire you.
Yes, you can add ‘punctuality’ as your trait in your resume but you can add ‘I am very comfortable at meeting deadlines’ in your cover letter, now that is what will separate you from the crowd.
5 Steps To Write A Cover Letter
Now that we have convinced you enough to add a cover letter with your resume. Here is how you can craft a marvelous cover letter.
i). Addressing the cover letter
- Start with your name and job title. You can be flexible with your job title and can include the title that provides you more leverage for the job.
- Avoid using ‘dear sir/madam, and address the hirers according to the culture of the company (casual or corporate).
If you can not find the name of the hiring managers then you can address them as Human resources, ABC Ltd
- Add your contact details (phone number, email) aligned to the right. And avoid those cringy email addresses.
- If your digital profiles provide any value to the cover letter then you are free to add that too.
ii). The first paragraph
Remember the line by which I started this blog with, the Joye Tribbianni one?
That’s how you need to start the cover letter, give the hiring managers a reason to read, target what they are looking for, make them interested in your cover letter.
iii). Second paragraph
In the second paragraph tell them about your achievements but especially those which they can find useful for the post you applied for.
Don’t bother bragging about your talents here. Target the needs of the hiring team and add your achievements accordingly.
iv). Third paragraph
In the second paragraph, you gave them reasons to heir you now in the third paragraph tell them why this company is good for you.
Tell them how this job is made for you.
v). Ending
What we recommend is to add parting words like “looking forward to hearing from you” so that the recruiter has no choice but to contact you or schedule an interview with you.
Tips & Tricks
1. Research
know what to include and what to exclude. There is no point in writing a cover letter without prior research. Research about the things that they are looking for and add those in your cover letter.
2. Format
Don’t stress over the format.
The top MNCs will provide you with the format of the cover letter.
3. Customize
Don’t copy-paste your cover letter every time, rather customize it and make it suitable for the vacancy you are aiming for.
4. fill those gaps
A resume can leave little room for shortcomings, use the cover letter to fulfill those potholes.
5. Don’t lie and be human
You are not a robot that can play guitar while managing a team of 100s. Be human and do not lie in your cover letter.
So that was how to draft a beautiful cover letter.
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